Report: Few resources for mentally ill

April 14, 2008 8:04:23 AM PDT

A new report out said local hospitals are devoting such few resources to treating the mentally ill that the job is now falling primarily on the jail system.The Treatment Advocacy Center said California hospitals now dedicate just 17 beds for mentally ill patients for every 100,000 residents, down sharply from just a few years ago.

Local law enforcement officials told the L.A. Daily News that because of the overcrowded ER rooms, local jails have become a de facto safety net for mental health services.

Of the nearly 20,000 inmates in the county's jail system, an estimated 60 percent suffer from mental illness.